Finding My Way
by Skylar Ania Dahlberg
Summary: My kingdom has fallen. I've been living in the wild for years. My family is gone. But I will rise again. I can find my way home, and find my family once again.
1. Prologue

Prologue

I was in my private library, reading my favorite book; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It was my eleventh birthday and my father, the king, was in his office working on my present. I read until the eighth chapter, and then put my book down to look out the window, playing with my amulet. My amulet was given to me by my mother before she passed away. It was an amethyst gem surrounded by gold, or budder as my brother and I call it. We always loved making up names for items. I was a year older than him, though it was still fun to play with him. I wondered what my brother and father had gotten or made for my birthday; they always got me the best gifts and in return, I did the same for them. For my brother's tenth birthday, I had made him a budder sword and he loved it; that sword never left his sight. I was snapped out of my daze when the door opened and I spun around to see who it was.

"Well, good morning, sleepy head." My little brother Sky waved in response and I invited him over.

"Hey birthday girl- *yawns* - why are you always up at the crack of dawn?" He asked me as he sat down in the arm chair opposite to mine. I giggled and was about to respond when father ran into the room with a wrapped box.

"I finally finished it, (Y/N)!" I turned to my brother with a look that said, "I'll tell you later." I ran up to my father and hugged him.

"Good morning, father! And what is it that you have finished?" Being a princess, I always spoke either Shakespearian or without contractions. My father smiled and handed me the box. I opened it as Sky ran over to see. I gasped and smiled; it was a midnight blue cloak with a silver lining and a clasp that looked like a sword being put into its sheath.

"Oh, father!" I squealed, "Thank you so much!" I hugged my father and he laughed at my excitement. I pulled away and put the cloak on. As soon as I clasped the sword into its sheath, I found something that felt like a button. I pressed it out of curiosity, Sky gasped and my father laughed.

"What?" I asked and I looked down at myself. I gasped, too; my body had turned invisible. "It's an invisibility cloak! Oh, father, you are truly amazing!" I ran up and hugged him once more.

"How did you make this? This fabric is more than rare!" I exclaimed at my father's glorious work. My father was about to answer when my little brother tackled me from behind; he's always been a ruffian.

"Now, it's time for my gift!" He squealed and jumped off of me to run out of the room to fetch the present. I giggled at him as he almost tripped and turned back to my father. He giggled at my brother and picked me up by the waist and twirled me around. I pressed the button on the clasp again and I was visible. Sky ran back into the room with a small box with a bow on it. I sat down where he had collapsed from exhaustion and opened the box. I gasped and pulled the gift out of the box; it was a hairclip, and a large one I might add, shaped like a black lightning bolt. I smiled and hugged Sky when he had gotten back up.

"You are the best brother a girl could ask for." I said with laughter lacing my voice. I put it on and lightning struck outside; funny, it was sunny just a minute ago. The lightning struck again and a figure appeared in the library. I gasped as I recognized the figure.

"Herobrine, what do you want?" My father asked, taking a step back from him. I grabbed Sky's hand and pulled him back, away from the god of death, the Nether and hostile mobs. I pulled Sky under my cloak and pressed the button on the clasp, turning us invisible. Herobrine chuckled at my father's bravery.

"I want nothing… except for your kingdom." Herobrine's smile turned into a grin as his eyes flickered to Sky and I. My father took a step closer to Herobrine, confronting him. Without looking at me and my brother, my father instructed us to leave. I got up slowly and silently, still grasping Sky's hand, and ran for the door. It swung open and I raced out with my brother close behind. _You better not die, father._ I thought as I raced down the hall. One of the guards, Dan, or TDM as I call his since his full name is The Diamond Minecart, saw us because I pressed the button so that we were visible and he started to run with us.

"What happened? Why are you two running?" Dan asked as we made a sharp left turn.

"Herobrine… private library… father…" I gasped, my eyes brimming with tears as I thought of what could've happened to my father. Next thing I knew, an explosion that came from behind us threw us off course, separating me from my brother and Dan. I got up and started to run back to them, but someone grabbed my hand. I instantly knew who it was; Herobrine. Actually, I was wrong; it was my friend Ash, or CreeperAshes. She started to pull me away for safety and I went with her willingly after her third attempt to pick me up. My eyes were still brimming with tears as I ran down the hallway. We made it outside and ran into the forest. I kept running until I realized that Ash wasn't next to me anymore. I stopped and looked around until I heard her voice.

"Keep going, Draconis!" Ash yelled from far behind me. I clicked the button on the clasp to my cloak and ran. I ran far from my kingdom; biome after biome until I reached the jungle. I stopped and caught my breath. I looked back at where my kingdom was; I could still see it from here and it had been somewhat destroyed. It was still the place I knew as home. I kept fighting the tears and started to collect wood for a shelter. I built my home quickly, but kept it concealed so no one, not even Herobrine, would find it. I went inside and put all the supplies I grabbed into chests; full sets of iron armor, swords, bows, arrow, pickaxes, axes, shovels, and a few of the ores I snatched. I grabbed two iron ingots and made them into shears, and then went on a search for sheep. I eventually found some and went back to my shelter to make a bed. I set it down in one of the second level rooms and face-planted onto it. I started crying over all the people I had lost; my father, my brother, Dan, Ash, and the rest of the kingdom. I was the only survivor. I had to strive on. _Survival,_ I thought, _seems almost impossible for me. _


	2. Chapter I

I

I woke up and sat up in my jungle house. I had survived for eight years here, but I wasn't going to stop now. I got up and went through the checklist for mornings; get up, hate life, eat breakfast. I know it's a short checklist, but I have time. After I got my breakfast, I geared up to go mining. I met no one along the way for the past eight years, but I felt like I would meet someone today. I don't know why, it was just a hunch. _Hey, look world!_ I thought, _Princess (Y/N) Dahlberg is surviving! Didn't expect that to happen, know did you fate?_ I shook my fist in the air as I thought.

"And I'm talking to myself; lovely." I sighed and grabbed my pickax, heading out the door to my favorite ravine. Sure, I haven't found any diamonds, strongholds, or mine-shafts, but I honestly don't care. I just want my family back. I never wore my cloak anymore; it reminded me of the mistakes I made when I was eleven. I just shoved it in a chest under lock-down so no one would find it except me, which I'm only going to use it in the most desperate of times. I made it to the ravine and found a few iron and gold ores here and there; I don't call it butter anymore since… Well, you know… I went down to the bottom of the ravine, since I felt extra psycho-killer today. There were a ton of mobs down there and I slayed them all. I ended up with twenty-seven bones, eight pieces of rotten flesh, nine spider eyes, and two or three ender-pearls. I mined at least a stack of both iron and gold ores.

As I climbed up the ledge to the top of the ravine, a light flashed right next to me. I looked back, but the light disappeared. I was making my way back to my house with an inventory full of ores and I heard a twig snap behind me. I spun around, expecting to see someone, even Herobrine, but saw no one. I kept walking back to my house and a bush rustled next to me. I drew my sword and walked slowly towards the bush. I was totally expecting a pig to jump out… and I was wrong; a cow jumped out. It scared the crap out of me so… I killed it. I laughed at myself for what I had done.

"Silly (Y/N); getting scared by a cow." I sighed and continued home. I looked back at the castle; it was still standing strong after all the years of being abandoned. An idea popped into my mind; go to the castle and see what, or who, survived.

"I am a genius! Did I say that out loud?" I asked myself. I hit my forehead with my wrist.

"Stupid, stupid." I had no one to talk to, so I pretty much have a voice in my head… yeah. That's what's up… I got home and put away my mining gear. I got my battle gear on; sling with arrows, bow, sheath, sword, and, don't find this strange, but a diamond ax. You never know when you have to put something on the chopping block. I took a deep breath and went to the door, climbing the stairs down to the bottom. For a house in the jungle, mine was really high up. I stopped about halfway down the staircase and opened a secret door within the tree. I pulled out my cloak and put it on; I missed this cloak just as much as I miss my brother. The idea of Sky brought tears to my eyes. _Stay strong._ A voice spoke in my head.

"Shut up, Ender, can't you just let me have a moment?" Yep, I told you I had a voice inside my head. Ender is the cockier, annoying version of me. Ender giggled. _Alright, alright, but get to the castle or else the good stuff will be gone._ I nodded and started to run towards the castle. I realized I wasn't in a hurry, so I slowed my pace.

"Don't you dare say anything against this, Ender!" I heard her giggle inside my head. I continued towards the castle, but it still felt like someone was watching me. I shook it off, but it bothered me; the constant branch snapping or bush rustling or shuffling of feet. I finally made it to the castle and stopped at the door. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the enormous doors to my previous home. I stepped inside and smiled as memories flooded back into me; my brother and I chasing each other around, my father reading to me in the library, my mother giving me the amulet on my eighth birthday. I held the amulet in my hand and fought back the tears as the last memory reached my mind. I let the amulet drop back down against my figure and started down the first hallway.

"I miss you." I murmured to myself as I walked down the hallway to the library. I opened the doors and gasped at what my favorite room in the castle had become; books were scattered everywhere, there was a large hole where the fireplace used to be. I slowly walked over to where my armchair was and saw a book on the floor. I turned my head sideways to read the title; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I picked up the book and put it in my bag, smiling as I did.

"Oh, father…" I murmured to myself as I remembered the day Herobrine separated me from my family. Rage boiled inside me and I started to search the rest of the library for what survived. In the end, I found the Maximum Ride, the rest of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and my personal series that I wrote myself had survived the fight between my father and Herobrine. As I was about to go to my old room, I noticed one more book on the floor under some rubble. I picked it up and tears started to flow at the title that was written in my brother's sloppy handwriting; (Y/N), this is for you. I decided to read it later and moved on to my old room. I found that it was untouched, but not perfect. It still had its walls and the floor hadn't given out when I stepped in, so pretty good. I found that my battle clothes and other fabrics were still where I had left them; on the floor. Hey, I'm a princess, not a perfectionist. I picked up the fabrics and shoved them in my bag; told you, not a perfectionist. I couldn't find anything else in my room, so I moved on to my brother's and father's room, but found nothing.

"Wow, either this place has already been raided or all the good stuff was destroyed." I commented. _I second that._ Ender, not again; whenever she says that, she always starts up a random conversation about pie or socks or something.

"Ender, please don't start up one of your signature conversations." I pleaded and I face-palmed once I realized that I could control what she says at times. I sighed and started towards the double doors at the castle entrance.

"Alright, now to get home and stash all this stuff… and I'm talking to myself again." I sighed and opened the double doors. With my cloak, I felt like nothing had changed from eight years ago. I expected to see the village that was under my kingdom's rule intact and not on fire, but I didn't see that. I saw a smoking pile of rubble instead of the cheerful village I once knew that withheld my subjects. I never really got out of the castle much, so I can't say I had any friends besides my father and brother. I put my hood up and started to walk down the pathway back to my house in the jungle, but something prevented me from doing that. That something was a bag being put over my head and my hands and feet being tied together. I could sense that there were other people near me, at least two or three because I heard two different voices.

"Let's take her back to the house" One said; it sounded male.

"Yeah, and would she be in for a treat when she meets Ty." Okay, now I was in trouble.


	3. Chapter II

II

I felt one of the two pick me up bridal style and carry me back to their little base. Judging by the walk, it wasn't far from my house. I heard a door open and a couple gasps. The person holding me threw me to the floor and I grunted in pain.

"Hey! Watch it, I could tear you limb from limb if I wanted to." I screamed, my voice turning out a bit muffled from the bag over my head. One of the people in the room pulled off the bag and I quickly closed my eyes from the drastic light change. Once my eyes had gotten used to the lighting, I opened them and looked around. There were three other people in the room, besides the ones who captured me and threw me on the floor. The person who pulled off the bag helped me up and took off the restraints the two bounty-hunters had put on me.

"I'm sorry about those two," He said, gesturing towards a bacca in a business suit and a kid my age with a red and black checkered jacket, "The can be a bit, how can I put this lightly? They can be ruffians." I looked back over at the two and saw the bacca nudge the kid, and the kid return the favor, except a bit harder. A few seconds later, the nudging turned into an all-out brawl. I backed up a bit so that I wouldn't get pulled into this. The others laughed as the two rolled on the floor, but I just smiled. My brother's friends used to do this when father had gone out on royal business and I was left in charge of the castle.

"Ah, memories." I muttered under my breath. The one with the space-suit must have heard me because he perked up.

"What memories?" I was at a loss for words. I couldn't decide if I should just tell them I am the princess or make up a lie to cover for myself. I decided to go with a lie. I just met these people; I am not sharing my darkest secrets with them.

"Um… my friends and I used to roughhouse like this." _Best lie ever, (Y/N)._ I sighed; Ender was back.

"Shut up." I mouthed, barely moving my lips so that the others wouldn't notice. They didn't, which was a relief because I didn't want these people to think I was crazy. The one with sunglasses, who had helped me up previously, walked over to me and analyzed my face. He seemed oddly familiar to me. Suddenly, he smiled.

"You're lying." I froze; the only person who could tell another was lying was my brother, but he's dead… I think. The man with sunglasses was awfully close to my face and it was getting uncomfortable. So, I did what any sane person would do; back away slowly. But he kept following me. He looked a lot like… my brother. I fought the tears as I remembered his sweet face, his out-going personality. I couldn't fight the tears anymore, so I pulled up my hood so they couldn't see my face as I shed a tear. All I wanted over these past eight years was my brother; I didn't know how I would be happy without him. I cleared my throat.

"You haven't told me your names yet." I said in a slightly choked voice. No response.

"Sky, cut it out, you're scaring her." I heard one of the others shout. It was a new voice, so I was guessing it was the one with the green and black headset. I froze again; Sky? No, this has to be a different one. It can't be him. 'Sky' stopped walking towards me and shook his head slightly, like he was contemplating something.

"I'm sorry. It's just… you remind me of someone I lost several years ago." He said and held out a hand to guide me back to the others. I hesitated, but grabbed his hand. I took off my hood to get a better look at the others. The one who snapped 'Sky' out of his daze was wearing a white V-neck t-shirt, gray pants, and purple wristbands. 'Sky' was wearing red shoes, black pants, a gray and black striped long sleeve t-shirt, sunglasses, and… an amulet just like mine. My amulet was hidden within my shirt so no one would see it. The spaceman was the first to present himself.

"I'm Jason and those two roughhousing over there are Jerome and Mitch." Headset was next.

"I'm Ty," Ty looked at 'Sky', who seemed to be lost in a memory. "And that's Sky." I nodded and turned to 'Sky', trying to figure out how to snap him back to reality. I snapped my fingers in front of his face, but then he started crying. 'Sky' crossed his arms and left the room with a tear-stained face. Jason and Ty ran after 'Sky' to see what was wrong and Jerome and Mitch were still roughhousing. I decided that, since no one was paying attention, I would open the thin book I found in the library written by my brother. I dug through my bag, pulled it out, and started to read.

Dear (Y/N), I was making this for your eleventh birthday so that if we ever got separated, you would remember me. I just wanted to say that no matter what we go through, I will always love you. Through snow, rain, and sleet I will always be your brother. I love you and I'll never forget you.

Sincerely, Your brother Sky

I put my hand over my mouth as I looked at the picture on the next page; it was of Sky and I, playing in the castle library when I was nine and he was eight. I started crying as the memory of what happened flashed across my memory; Herobrine appearing in the library, Sky, Dan, and I running down the hall, the explosion… I couldn't take it anymore, so I shoved the book haphazardly back in my bag. It stuck out a little, but I didn't care; I just wanted my brother back. I put up my hood again, grabbed my bag, and ran out the door before anyone could stop me. I ran back to my house and dashed up the staircase as questions floated in my mind; was that my brother? Should I really have left? What if they come looking for me? That last question made me freeze in place, but I quickly made it up the staircase. I threw open the door and threw my bag on the floor. I ran to my room and jumped onto my bed, sobbing into the pillow. I stopped crying fifteen minutes later when I heard voices outside. I got up and ran to the window. My stomach sank; Jason and Ty were outside, most likely looking for me. I gasped and quickly covered my mouth.

"Where did she go?" Ty asked as he looked around at the trees. I backed up from the window, nearly knocking over a table with a picture of my father on it.

"I have no idea. Hey, look. She dropped something." Jason picked up a thin, blue book… oh, no. I ran to my bag and checked it for Sky's book; gone.


	4. Chapter III

III

My heart sank and I nearly screamed as tears flooded my vision. I had just lost the last thing I had to remember my brother by. I held my head in my hands and started crying. Had I looked up, I would've noticed it was getting dark.

"Hey, there's a light in that tree."

"That's not just a light, it's a window." I heard their footsteps thundering up the stairs, but I didn't bother to turn off the lights or hide. The footsteps stopped right in front of my door.

"Guys, I think we found her!" Ty shouted and more footfalls sounded. There was a loud silence for a moment until someone knocked on the door. I looked up at the door and got up.

"Just a minute." I said; my voice was cracking. I heard gasps from outside the door; they were reading it, I just knew it. I opened the door slightly to catch a glimpse of them, and then opened the door completely.

"Yes?" I asked, trying not to act as if I had just had a mental breakdown. I saw that 'Sky' was reading the book and was gaping at it.

"Yeah, um, we just wondered why you ran off and we found one of your books. By the way, we never caught your name." Jason said, looking back at 'Sky' a couple times. I nodded and invited them in. Ty had to pull 'Sky' into my house since he couldn't stop looking at the book. I started to make them some hot chocolate since it was the winter season.

"My friends call me (Y/N)… that is if I had had any friends." I said as I handed them the mugs of hot chocolate. 'Sky' looked up from the book and acted like he wasn't staring at it to look at me. There he goes analyzing my face again. At least this time he wasn't backing me up to a wall. Mitch snapped his fingers in front of 'Sky's face.

"Hello? Earth to Sky!" I giggled as 'Sky' snapped out of his daze. I still can't believe that he has the same name as my brother. He even had the same voice, but it couldn't be possible… unless… no, that's impossible. Once I snapped out of my daze, Jason was right in front of me with the thin blue book. I smiled and took it from him. I tried to start up a conversation.

"So… how long have you lived in that base?" I asked and they tensed, almost as if… no, stop it brain! They all looked a bit embarrassed or nervous about saying the answer. Jerome cleared his throat.

"Well, Mitch and I have lived there for about ten years, Jason and Ty came in a year after we built it, and Sky ran in eight years ago. He was covered in ashes and a bit of rubble. He never told us what really happened; he just said that a bunch of creepers blow up his house." A wave of sorrow crashed through me as I remembered that fateful day. I sat down in the small chair that was right behind me. I sighed as Ty asked me something that I never wanted to answer.

"Is this the king?"

"You mean King Dahlberg?"

"Yeah, look."

"Wow, it is him."

"How do you have this picture?" I never wanted to answer questions that had to do with my father; it just brought back the memories. I looked at the picture, which 'Sky' was holding up so that I could look at it. I decided that I should tell them; I was getting curious whether or not 'Sky' was actually my brother.

"The king was my father." I stated in a choked voice… and 'Sky' gasped. It couldn't really be him… could it? I shed a few tears and hid my face in my hands; this is why I never talked about him. It brought back the feels. Now, I'm thinking like a Fan-girl. Deal with it. There was another loud silence until-

"I can't believe it." Came the whisper of 'Sky'. I looked up from my hands; 'Sky' had started to walk towards me and sat down next to me. The others, I could tell, were getting curious about what 'Sky' was doing.

"Sky, what are you doing?"

"You're scaring her again."

"What can't you believe?"

"Do you like waffles?" Everyone turned to Jerome.

"I was just wondering." I rolled my eyes and turned back to 'Sky', who was trying to keep his laughter contained. I smiled, too… and, eventually, everyone burst out laughing. When the laughter died down, 'Sky' looked back at me. I was still laughing a little. 'Sky' started humming a familiar tune… Oh, my Notch; it is him. He was humming the tune to 'Modded Madness', my own creation, my own song. I started to match the words with the melody.

"Fighting off the mobs as they come, I'm ready with my sword in hand. In this game I'll have some fun. In this modded madness, I have to survive, in this modded madness; don't know how I'm still alive. Hold your head up high cuz' Herobrine is coming for us tonight. In this modded madness, Notch, can't you help me now?" I smiled as I finished the chorus.

"After all these years…"

"You still remembered." I finished Sky's sentence for him. It really was my brother. I got out of the arm chair and hugged him. I started crying; I had missed him and thought he was gone forever for the past eight years.

"I thought you were dead." We said at the same time and we both giggled. I didn't let Sky go; I didn't want to lose him again.

"I missed you so much."

"I did, too. I thought I was on my own after the explosion.

"I never want to lose you again." Jason cleared his throat to grab our attention.

"Could someone explain what's going on here?" I laughed and Sky did, too; _two peas in a pod_, I thought.

"Okay," I finally stopped laughing to explain, "Do you guys remember when the Dahlberg Castle was taken over by Herobrine eight years ago?" The others nodded in response.

"Yeah, we were running out of the castle to find shelter and an explosion separated us from each other." The others were still confused.

"I don't follow." I smiled and laughed at their lack of realization.

"We," I pulled Sky into a hug, "are the prince and princess. Brother and sister, I'm older." I added that last part in a whisper. Realization smacked the others like a bucket of ice water. We spent the entire night recalling what happened in the castle. Eventually, the sun came up and the others went home.

"You know where to find me!" I called out the window to them. Sky and Ty waved to me and I waved back. I ran back to my bag and pulled out my personal series and started to read. I got to the eighth chapter when a note slipped out. I picked it up and smiled at what it said;

Call me sometime. I want to get to know you better. –Ty ;)

I blushed as I realized what he meant. I slipped it back into my book and started to read again. I never really drew any pictures for the book and it seemed like a good time to. I grabbed some paper out of a drawer marked; Personal. I grabbed a pencil from the table where I was writing down lists of materials that I need. I started to sketch the picture for the first chapter and progressed on. I was done with pictures for about seven chapters by midnight. Once finished with the seventh picture, I looked out the window at the moon. I don't know why, but I felt as if I had won the lottery or, in my case, got the newest book of my favorite series. I just felt really, really happy since I found Sky. Well, you would, too, if you had just found your brother that you thought was dead. I started to hum to tune to my song, Modded Madness.

"Spawn in; open my eyes in the world of Minecraft. It's survival of the fittest; try not to come in last. Venturing through the land; fighting off the mobs as they come. I'm ready with my sword in hand. In this game I'll have some fun. In this mod-" I was cut off by an explosion from outside. _Not too far away,_ I noted. _Almost as if…_ Realization smacked me across the face like a bucket of ice water. That could have been the guys' base. I jumped up, grabbed my sword, and ran outside to my brother's base. I ran, thinking of the worst possible situations.

"I'm not losing you again, Sky, never again." I almost yelled that after I had repeated it for the eighth time. I was almost to the base when I tripped on a tree root that I didn't see and fell into the ravine I was running next to. I grabbed onto a branch that stuck out and hoped for the best. I tried to pull myself up but the branch snapped in half. Next thing I knew, I was falling down about a hundred feet… into a river, thank Notch. I landed with a huge splash as I hit the water and sunk about ten feet. I swam back up to the surface of the river, but something grabbed my leg. I looked down into the water, my leg barely visible, but I could still make out a tentacle wrapped around my leg. My eyes widened as I was dragged under the water and away from the surface world. I was losing oxygen fast, and I know that there's oxygen in the water and blah blah blah science, but can _you _breathe underwater? *silence* I didn't think so. Now you know that this is a second person point of view book. I was pulled deeper and deeper into the black, wet abyss below me. I'm serious; it was like an underwater ravine. But there was light in the abyss; strange, I thought abysses were supposed to be pitch black. I could barely see the light glistening from the surface of the water. I had lost way too much oxygen; I needed air. I tried fighting and kicking the squid, but it didn't make a difference; I was low on energy and the squid was wearing armor. This was no ordinary squid; it was a Squid Army recruit. They've been threatening my kingdom from before I was born. I could imagine what their reaction was when they heard my kingdom had perished. 'Oh, hooray! Our greatest enemy has fallen!' but I don't think that they spoke like diplomats. Look that word up on Google, kids! Yeah, squids are not… as evolved as humans. They can't even speak English; they speak sentences in their language like, 'Love be squid.' instead of, 'I love being a squid.' Yeah, they're not the Einsteins of this generation. But, somehow, one of them captured me. The squid dragging me down into the abyss had brought me into what seemed like an Army base, but with more blue… and water. The other squids looked at me as I was dragged across the murky sea floor; most of them glared or turned their back on me. I can't believe I lasted this long without air. Darkness clouded my vision; never mind. I felt my eyes close and my head slump slowly to the side. Only then did I fall completely unconscious.


	5. Chapter IV

IV

I woke to the sound of screams, which I recognized as my own. I pried open my eyes to find myself in a cell in the Squid Army base and a squid leaving the cell with a bloody sword. My eyes widened as the memory of what happened came flooding back to me; found brother and his friends, they went home, explosion in the distance, me running outside to find the location of the explosion, tripping, falling into the river, being taken to the Squid Army base. Okay, I could fix this… maybe. I looked at myself to see where the squid at cut me. The right side of my black and purple tank-top had been haphazardly sliced open as well as my right side, which was covered in blood and, odd enough, ink.

"Seriously?" My voice was scratchy and hoarse; no calling for help for me. I sighed and tried to get up, but ended up falling back down and groaning in pain. No standing either, can my life get any better? Squids started to come by and stopped in front of my cell. Regrettably, I was still by the front of the cell, where the squids could reach me. One of their slimy tentacles reached in and quickly grabbed my neck, another holding a needle with some sort of yellow and purple liquid in it. Sorry I asked… The squid injected me with the liquid and threw me to the floor. I couldn't move. _Shit,_ I thought, _shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! _A burning pain filled my senses. It felt like my skin was on fire, a high-pitched sound pierced my ears, and my eyes started to burn. I screamed as the burning sensation went from fire to acid. The pain finally died down and I was in tears. I sobbed quietly as the squids nodded and smiled at their success. One of them grabbed me by the neck again.

"Not so tough now, are we Princess?" He spat the word 'princess' like it was a sour tasting candy. The squid threw me back to the ground and I continued to cry. I could move again after about fifteen minutes and I heard shouting from the hall.

"Where is she?" Asked a cruel, heartless sounding voice; must have been the squid king.

"She… I don't…" A voice whimpered, definitely a guard or a lower squid. I heard a grunt of pain and a small thud. The guard must have been thrown to the ground.

"I'll find her myself." The king mumbled and just then… he passed my cell and glanced in. The king stopped and narrowed his eyes at me, smiling like he was hiding something. I sat up as the king laughed and his grin grew wider, if that was even possible.

"Well, if it isn't the princess of Mordias. How's your father?" That snide comment hit me like a bullet, but I stood my ground. I stood up and walked over to the front of the cell where the king was peering in.

"If it isn't Mr. High-and-Mighty himself! How's your army holding up? It's just lovely being stuck in a murky abyss with corpses everywhere, isn't it?" I retorted; take that, Mr. High-and-Mighty. The king's smile disappeared quickly, turning into and snarl.

"It was the last place we could find." He grumbled through gritted teeth. I smiled, thinking of the fun I'd have right now.

"What? Don't you like living in an underwater dumpster? Nobody likes squid." I could just picture what would happen next.

"Haven't you thought that you're going to live here until your death?" The king was pretty good at snappy comebacks; that's not at all what I expected. He's good, but I'm better.

"Oh, that sentence is not the truth. You speak of lies, just as you lie beneath the surface waiting to die." I smiled; nice one, (Y/N). The king stepped away from my cell and called over a guard.

"Her execution is tomorrow. Write it down." My eyes widened as the king looked over his shoulder and smiled. Well… shit. I slumped back down in the cell.

"Best freaking day of my life." I sighed and looked out the window to my cell. The view was actually beautiful; through the clear, blue water stood the endless night sky. The stars sparkled and I traced the constellations with my finger. I found Orion's belt, Capricorn, and Ares; my three favorite constellations. I sighed and turned away from the window.

"I've failed you, father. I promised, no matter what, that I would keep my brother safe. I am a failure. I deserve the fate that has been given to me. I'm sorry." I shed a tear as I remembered making that promise to my father. I curled up into a ball and hid my face between my legs.

"I just want my brother back." I whimpered as darkness, once again, consumed my senses. Somehow, it felt as if my memories were fading away. The serum; it all makes sense now. The serum had memory effects. The squids were trying to make me forget who I loved. I didn't know why I was crying. Where was I? A face flashed across my memory. Dark sunglasses, scruffy brown hair, tanned skin. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it. I felt like I knew this person and names bounced around in my head; Ty, Jason, Mitch, Jerome, Sky, Herobrine. I froze at the last name; I knew who he was for sure. I felt hatred boil inside me. Why do I feel like I want to rip his heart out? He must have done something to affect my past. I lifted my head out from between my legs and cringed slightly in pain. Why do I hurt? I looked at the source of the pain; a cut down my right side, covered in blood and some sort of black liquid. The darkness grew and grew over my senses. I was losing energy fast, but I had to conserve it. I tried fighting sleep, but failed. I ended up falling to the cold stone floor and my eyes closed, but not before I heard shouts and screams of what sounded like squids. Then the darkness consumed me completely.


	6. Chapter V

V

(Sky's P.O.V.)

When the guys and I finally got back to our base, I noticed Ty had a slight blush. I could tell he had something on his mind.

"What's up, Ty?" His head jerked up and his alertness reappeared. He looked worried, like he was hiding something and his blush grew darker. Okay, something's up with him.

"N-Nothing. Nothing's up." Ty's eyes darted to meet my gaze, but quickly averted it.

"Oh, something _is_ up; you never stutter." I could tell Ty was trying to avoid this conversation; his blush grew even darker, if that was even possible. Ty mumbled something, but I only caught, "(Y/N)," and, "so dead." I was getting worried because those two phrases are never a good thing once put together in a sentence. I stopped dead and grabbed Ty by the shoulders.

"Repeat what you just said." I commanded shakily; I just found my sister after eight years, I don't want to lose her again. Ty shrunk down, but he could see the concern in my eyes, even though my dark sunglasses made my eyes invisible to the human eye. Ty cleared his throat and looked like he was preparing for a beat-down.

"I said, 'I have a crush on (Y/N). If I said this to Sky, I would be so dead." Ty shrunk down even farther and closed his eyes. I let it process and smiled slowly. I laughed a little and helped Ty to his feet.

"Ha! Ty has a crush! Ty has a crush!" I yelled in a sing-song-y voice as I ran around the room. My sister would probably roll her eyes and say, "You guys are so immature." I smiled as I remembered her sweet face; (Y/N) could be so predictable at times. Jerome and Mitch looked at me and laughed. Jason just stood there smiling, like (Y/N) would, and rolled his eyes.

"You guys are so immature." Whoa, déjà-vu. I stopped running around the room and looked at Jason.

"You act just like my sister." I retorted, smiling as I noted my triumphant comeback. Suddenly, I heard hissing, not like a spider or a creeper, but like… Oh, no.

"Guys, head for the door!" I yelled and no one questioned it. I ran out the door with the others trailing behind me just as the base exploded. I landed on my face and pushed myself up. I turned back to the base… or what was left of it. It was completely destroyed; it was only a pile of ashes now. All of the resources the guys and I had collected over the years… were gone. I looked around at the others to see that they were still in one piece. I heard footsteps running towards us and someone mumbling, "I'm not losing you again, Sky, never again." I recognized it as (Y/N)'s voice and quickly got up. I heard her gasp and ran to see what happened. I was too late; the branch she was holding onto snapped and she was falling to the bottom of the ravine. Thank Notch, she landed in a river. She landed with a splash. I sighed in relief as she resurfaced. Suddenly, (Y/N) looked down into the water and, most likely, was pulled down.

"No! (Y/N)!" I screamed and the others came rushing over to my side. I broke into tears; my sister that I had just found a few minutes ago… was gone. Just like the base. Once I was done crying, I turned to the guys. I could tell that Jason knew what I was going to do and gave me a look that said, 'Are you crazy?!' I returned the look with a nod and jumped into the ravine.

"Sky, you're insane!" Jerome called down to me.

"I guess I am, but I am not losing my sister again!" I shouted back up to them. They exchanged glances and followed me down into the ravine. I quickly pulled out my iron helmet with Aqua Affinity II enchantment. I always carry it with me. I plunged into the water and was surprised at how dark it was. I noticed a light in the distance and started to swim towards it. I heard four more splashes behind me and turned to see Jason, Ty, Mitch, and Jerome, all with their Aqua Affinity enchanted iron helmets. I smiled and started, once again, to swim towards the light. When I was close enough, I could see that the light was coming from a Squid Army base. I gasped; I hadn't seen one of those in years. The others came up behind me and gasped as well at the sight. A squid came by and it was pulling something, or someone, that was struggling against its grip. I kept silent, trying not to attract attention to myself as (Y/N) was dragged inside what looked like a jailhouse. After (Y/N) was out of my sight, I turned my back against the rock I was hiding behind and started crying, which is ironic, considering that I'm underwater.

"I'm going in after her." I stated as the others looked to me for instructions.

"Sky, you have no weapons whatsoever." Mitch remarked in a whisper.

"I don't care; she's my sister and I am not losing her again."

"Guys, shut up! They're going to hear us!" Ty yell-whispered at Mitch and me, ending our little conversation. I rolled my eyes and something grabbed my arm. I looked over my shoulder to see a tentacle. I turned back to Ty, who had an, 'I told you so.' look on his face. I tried to rip off the tentacle, but failed and more tentacles took hold of me and the others. The squids started to drag us towards the jailhouse, but not before they took our helmets from us. _Shit,_ I thought. The guys and I were pulled inside and thrown into separate cells. Jason had been thrown into a cell to my right, Ty in the cell to my left, Mitch in the cell across from Ty, and Jerome across from Jason. The cells were filled with air; guess the squids realized we needed to breathe. The cell across from mine had someone in it, but they were too far back for me to recognize them. I sighed and sat down, looking out the window in my cell. I found my favorite constellation; Ursa Minor. I don't know why it's my favorite, it just is. I looked over to the cell across from mine. The person occupying it had dirty blonde hair that was braided, a black and purple tank-top, black jeans, and black combat boots. The person rolled over, but their hair covered their face. I notice that they wore a black hair-clip that was shaped like… a lightning bolt. Joy ran through my veins; it was my sister.


	7. Chapter VI

VI

((Y/N)'s P.O.V.)

I opened my eyes and groaned, sitting up and clutching my forehead. I looked at my surroundings, still in the squid base. That was the only thing I could remember, besides my name. How did I even get here? I stood up and looked outside my cell into the one across from mine. There was someone in there, someone awake, he seemed so familiar; he wore a long-sleeve black and gray shirt, black pants, red shoes, sunglasses, and he had an amulet that looked just like mine. I picked up my amulet and looked from mine to his. Again, this guy seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it. I had one helluva headache, but I don't know how I got it. And what was I doing in an underwater prison?

"Notch, this is confusing." I mumbled quietly so the person in the cell across from mine wouldn't hear me. I leaned a bit out of my cell to see the other two cells next to the one across from me had people in them. The one to my left had a person wearing a blue spacesuit and the one to my right had a boy about my age with a green and black headset, a white V-neck t-shirt, and gray pants. The boy's hair was brown and covered his left eye to top off the look. I had to admit, the boy with the headset was pretty cute. Wait, what am I thinking? I haven't even spoken to him yet! I sighed and took another look around; the place seemed unguarded for the most part. I looked at the open section of my cell where food can be passed into the cell. I took out the sword I had in my sheath.

"Could work…" I whispered and started to cut the area around the hole so that it was big enough for me to slip out. Considering that I was really tall for my age, which I was guessing was at least 19 or 20, I had to pretty much cut off the entire base of the door. Once I was done cutting, the section of metal fell to the floor with a small _clang! _I flinched as the noise echoed through the hall, afraid that guards would come and most likely torture me. Okay, this was feeling déjà-vu-ish to me; memories of this jail shot through my mind. I must have been taken here before when I was younger. No one turned to look at me from the other cells… I think the guy across from me was, though. I couldn't tell; sunglasses. I snuck out of the hallway undetected when a twinge of guilt stopped me in my tracks; I couldn't just leave them there… could I? No, I was going back for them. I turned around and went back to the hall. I stopped at the first cell with the space-guy. I took out a bobby pin from my hair and picked the lock in no time flat. The space-guy seemed to be unconscious, so I went over and he woke up just as I bent down. He looked at me in surprise… I think, with the helmet he was wearing, I couldn't tell. He sat up and gasped.

"(Y/N)?" He asked, but I didn't respond. I just helped him up and motioned him to follow me. I took out another bobby pin and handed it to the space-guy.

"Pick the locks," was all I said before I went to work on the lock to the cell across from the one I was in. The guy inside perked his head up once he heard the door open. I didn't face the man inside; I just set to work on the lock on the cell to the left of mine, which contained a furry creature in a business suit. I didn't speak to any of them after that; I was focused more on escaping. I felt like this has happened before; being captured by the squids, I mean. I cut open my window to my cell and gestured for the others to go out first while I kept watch for the squids, in case that they came. First it was the guy with the headset, then the one with the checkered jacket, the furry one, space-man, the guy that was across from me, and I finally I crawled out. They waited for me outside of the building; they actually waited… that's a first. We swam up together and to the shore. Once on land, I turned back to the others.

"See ya around." I saluted them and left, running into the forest and up the mountain to my home in the trees. The expressions on their faces when I left still flashed across my mind every now and then; they looked concerned and sad, mostly the guy with the amulet. He looked like he wanted to cry out, "Wait, stop!" when I turned to leave. When I left them, it felt like there was something telling me to stay with them, but I denied it. I felt like I wanted to cry, but why? Was it something involved with those five people? Or just the one with the amulet? I was about to open the door to my home, but froze; something was telling me to go to the castle of Mordias. I followed the instinct and turned away from my front door, walking towards the castle. I looked at the surrounding forest that led the way to the ancient, fallen building. It seemed… quiet; almost too quiet. I drew my sword, just in case something, or someone, decided to jump out and scare the crap out of me. Some of you are probably thinking, "FORESHADOWING! FORESHADOWING!" and that's exactly what I was doing; the bushes to my right started to rustle and it scared the crap out of me. I pointed my sword at the bush and lulled over my options in my mind; _Fight or Flight? Fight or Flight? Fight… Nope, definitely flight._ I turned and ran in the direction of the castle; maybe I would be safe in there… maybe. I made it the steps of the castle when I realized that I was safe.

"Holy chicken nugget biscuits!" Heh, references… I turned back to the large hole that used to be the doors and took a step across the threshold. A memory hit me like a bullet, but I stayed frozen as I remembered.

_I was nine and running down the hall of the castle with my brother chasing me. I wasn't watching where I was going, so I crashed into my father, the king. We both laughed as we got up and my brother approached._

_ "__(Y/N), Sky, I was just coming to remind you that the Survival Games competitors raffle is in fifteen minutes, so go and get into your formal wear. (Y/N), you'll be choosing the names out of the bowl this year." I smiled and ran to my room to get ready. The Survival Games were not as bad as the Hunger Games; you re-spawn once you die in the Survival Games, unlike the Hunger Games. I always loved watching this event; it was my favorite throughout the year. I was really hyper as I changed into my blue dress with gems in a line across the torso and put my cloak on; this cloak was originally my mother's. It was black with a blue lining and a silver clasp. I ran to my bathroom to put my hair up in a 'royal' bun. It was traditional hair-style worn for centuries by my family to formal events. I adjusted the amulet that my mother had given to me the day before she died. I turned to leave my room and someone knocked on my door. I opened the door to find my eight year old brother, Sky, with his clothes out of place; his crown was tilted to the side a bit, his jacket looked like it was put on haphazardly, and his hair was all over the place. I giggled at his appearance and invited him inside._

_ "__Could you help me with my, well, everything?" I nodded and motioned for him to sit on my bed as I got my hairbrush. Sky sat patiently on my bed as I brushed his hair. I could tell there was something on his mind; I always could._

_ "__Is something wrong, Sky? You look troubled." I asked as I continued to brush his hair; geez, how many tangles could he have gotten in his hair in the past two minutes? Sky looked at the floor and shook his head._

_ "__Oh, come on; I know when there's something wrong. So, tell me." I pleaded as I hugged him._

_ "__I just… what if one of my friends gets chosen? I know that the competitors re-spawn, but I would just hate to see them die…" I understand how he felt; last year, my friend, Castia, was chosen in the Survival Games. She was the eighteenth competitor to fall, but she never re-spawned. I was heartbroken; Castia was the only friend I had besides my brother's friends, who I got along with quite well. They always came over for a sleepover whenever it was a break from school or my father was away on royal business; their parents' were all soldiers who protected the king and I volunteered to take care of their children whenever they had to go with my father to another land or kingdom._

_ "__Look, Sky… It's not as bad as you think it would be… Competitors just…look like they fall asleep when they're eliminated from the games. Here," I turned my brother to face me, "if one of your friends is chosen, I'll just cover your eyes so you won't have to see them if they're eliminated. I've arranged it for your friends to sit with us in the royal viewing area. How does that sound?" My brother's eyes lit up… I think, remember people, he wears sunglasses. Sky hugged me and thanked me. I fixed him up and looked at the clock; it was five minutes until the choosing of the competitors. I grabbed Sky's hand and threw open my door._

_ "__Come on, Sky; we have five minutes." My brother sensed my urgency and ran beside me so that I no longer dragged him. We made it just in time for my cue to come out and choose the competitors for the games. My father knelt down to my height._

_ "__Great timing." He whispered and I smiled. I walked over to the bowl and was about to reach my hand in when I remembered I had a short speech to give._

_ "__Citizens of Mordias! I, princess (Y/N), am pleased to welcome you to the sixty-second annual Survival Games! I am also honored to be selecting the competitors for the games! So without further ado, I present the first competitor of the Survival Games…" I paused as I reached into the bowl and selected a card. I opened the card and read the name, "Drake Conners!" I looked down into the crowd to see a boy, about ten or eleven, stand up and make his way down to the arena in the middle of the stadium; we were just like the Romans! I pulled out twenty-one other names of random people who I never met, so I'm just skipping to the twenty-third competitor. I reached into the bowl after a deep breath; I had made it this far without selecting one of Sky's friend's names. I picked out a card and opened it, gasping at the name. People from the stadium were looking up at me to see what was taking so long. I cleared my throat and read the name on the card._

_ "__M-Mitchell Hughes…" I choked out into the microphone I had in front of me. I heard gasps from behind me and I knew it was Sky. I turned around and looked at Mitch, mouthing, "I'm sorry." I didn't want to watch Mitch make his way down to the center, so I just pulled out the next name. I opened my eyes and the card, but froze on the spot; the card read, "Jerome Aceti." I gulped and turned to face Jerome._

_ "__Jerome Aceti." I tried saying calmly, but my voice was obviously cracking. Jerome stood up and followed the same path that Mitch took. Jerome stopped at the door and ran back to me to hug me. I hugged him back and guided him down the center. I returned to the podium I was speaking from earlier and explained the rules for this year's Survival Games._

_ "__Now, the rules have bent slightly this year for the Survival Games; this year, competitors can partner up to win together, but be warned, you never know who you can trust." I peered down at the center to see Mitch and Jerome silently agreeing to be partners and I smiled. I looked back at the crowd._

_ "__Let the games begin!" I shouted and the crowd cheered wildly. I stepped down from the podium and Sky ran up to hug me. I hugged him back and looked to Ty and Jason, who were teary eyed; I could tell they didn't want to watch the games this year. I turned to my father, who noticed my concern._

_ "__Go ahead; you don't have to watch the games." He said to me and I motioned for Ty and Jason to follow me to their favorite spot on the castle grounds; the indoor training facility. I stepped inside and let the boys practice their fighting skills. I put up my hood and sat to the side guiding them with dodges and attacks. My father always said I was a great fighter and an amazing teacher, so I was assigned to training the younger children in the kingdom. I checked in with the games on my wristwatch; it seemed it would be going on for a few days since only two people died and re-spawned in the spectators' area, plus the sun was starting to set._

_ "__Ty, Jason?" The two boys stopped demolishing the attack dummies and turned to me, "Since your parents will be watching the games, you'll be staying at the castle until they're over." Ty, Jason, and looked at each other, smiled, and ran inside. A week of being tackled by Sky, Jason and Ty later, Jerome and Mitch came into the room, grinning from ear to ear. I looked at them from under the pile of children and smiled._

_ "__You won, didn't you?" They nodded and they were soon engulfed in hugs._

I stumbled back at the memory and ended up falling backwards down the stairs. I looked back up at the castle and memories of my brother and my friends flooded back into my mind. I just sat there gasping for a few seconds before I got up and ran back to my house. I was about half-way to my house when I crashed into something and fell backwards.

"What the…?" I yelled and got back up. I walked forward with my hand extended and my hand hit something. I rubbed my hand against it and it shocked me. I quickly pulled away and almost screamed, my eyes tearing up from the pain. I could still feel the small shock running through my veins and shivered every now and then. After a few more minutes of trying to get through the barrier, my knees gave out and I fell. I was shivering non-stop, but my heart told me to keep going. I was getting weaker by the second.

"No… I have… to keep… going…" I tried to keep slamming myself against the barrier to break it, I was not giving up. I heard a door open about ten feet away and footsteps, lots of footsteps. My vision was blurring and getting darker as the footsteps got closer.

"SETO, LOWER THE BARRIER!" Someone screamed, calling my name several times after. The world grew darker and my body hit the ground, since I was leaning on the barrier earlier. That voice… it was in the memories, but I couldn't place it. Finally, my vision was nothing but darkness.


	8. Chapter VII

VII

(Sky's P.O.V.)

I was sitting in my sister's room in her house. The guys and I had come here, thinking that was where she had run off to earlier, until we had another base and we found Seto in the forest. But (Y/N) wasn't here when we arrived, so I was starting to get worried. We were waiting to see if she would come in and I tried to go out looking for her a few times, but Jason stopped me every time. So I just gave up and sat in my sister's room. Suddenly, I heard a crash outside. I didn't leave my spot because, get this, Jerome literally put a freaking pad-lock on the door. I couldn't even leave if I wanted to. The guys said they had to keep me safe, since they just figured out I was a prince and all that. I sighed as I heard the front door swing open.

"SETO, LOWER THE BARRIER!" Someone screamed, "(Y/N), (Y/N)!" My head perked up and I found a new motivation. I started trying to break down the door, but to no avail. I hit it ten times before I started crying. I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands.

"I just want my sister back." I choked out between sobs. I lost my sister eight years ago, then found her, lost her again to the squids, found her again, and now I was trapped in a room when I knew that my sister was right outside the door. I wanted to go see her, at least. (Y/N), why do I keep losing you?

((Y/N)'s P.O.V.)

_I sat up and looked at my surroundings. I was in a plains biome with several animals ranging from chickens to mooshrooms here. I was so confused; how did I get here? Last time I checked, I was in the jungle freezing to death. Yeah, because that sentence makes so much sense. I got up and started walking around. Five seconds later, the entire biome went white. The scene changed to… my family, playing in the castle courtyard. I looked about three-years-old, so Sky was two. This was when my mother was still alive. The sight of my mother brought tears to my eyes. She was teaching me how to walk and Sky was sitting in my father's lap. I smiled sadly._

_ "__Adrian, could you go and get the toys?" My mother asked and my father nodded, leaving with Sky to go fetch the toys. My mother turned her attention back to the three-year-old me. A rustle came from the bushes that were a few feet from my mother and squids jumped out. My mother held the younger me close and called for my father. A squid ripped the young me out from my mother's grasp and they both started crying._

_ "__No, let her go!" My mother screamed as two squids held her back._

_ "__And what do we get in return?" The king squid had just appeared behind her. My mother looked as if she was deciding whether or not to… no, mom._

_ "__Take me in her place." My mother said her expression unreadable. I wanted to scream my mother's name, but my voice seemed to not be working. The king squid thought it over and agreed. The squids released the younger me and set her, uh, me down on the ground. I watched as my mother was being dragged away and the younger me was crying. I fell to my knees and cried, remembering this day. Everything around me faded away into darkness, which meant one thing; I was waking up._

I groaned, but hadn't opened my eyes. I felt someone squeezing my hand; the guys must have found me. I heard a gasp and the hand fell away. Footsteps left the room and the door closed. I had no energy to open my eyes and I was barely breathing. Then I remembered my theory on how the guys had found me; that meant Sky had to be here. I wanted to get up and run into his arms, embracing him, crying into his shoulder, but I didn't have the energy. The door opened again and two sets of footsteps came in. I groaned again and someone grabbed my hand.

"When will she wake up?" I exploded with joy on the inside; that was my brother's voice.

"It might take a while, but at least she's alive." This was a new voice, but still familiar, "Do you want to be left alone, Sky?" No verbal response came, but I think Sky nodded since the other person left the room. Sky pushed some hair out from the front of my face.

"Don't leave me, please." He kissed my forehead and the door opened again.

"Aw, how cute! Brotherly love!"

"Shut up, Mitch…" I managed a small smile and Sky gasped, "(Y/N)?" I opened my eyes a little, but Sky and Mitch hadn't noticed.

"Come on, Jason's got dinner ready." Sky's hand fell away and footsteps trailed to the door, which closed soon after. After a few minutes of silence, the door opened again and someone else walked to my side. They sighed and put their hand on top of mine.

"Please wake up." Ty, it was Ty. He cared about me? I mean, I know I'm a freaking princess, but still. Ty kissed my cheek and left. Oh my Notch, someone, other than family, cared about me. Like, really cared. That's right; I had no social life when I was younger! It wasn't just that that kept me from having friends. My mother was three-quarters ender-dragon, don't ask me how, and that was passed onto me. This was a surprise; my own family didn't even know that, yet Ty cared about me.


	9. Chapter VIII

VIII

(Sky's P.O.V.)

I left the room (Y/N) was lying in and went to the dinner table. Everyone except Ty and (Y/N) were there. Wait, where the Nether was Ty?

"Has anyone seen Ty?" I asked, hoping the others would know. The all shook their heads. Ty showed up a few minutes later, blushing… like… crazy. Hold on a second…

"So, Ty, what delayed you to coming to the dinner table?" Jason asked and Ty shot a 'oh shit' face at the wall, avoiding all eye contact.

"I just… um, I was… checking on (Y/N)." 'Checking' right… I was finished with my food first and went to check on my sister. I opened the door and stood frozen on the spot; a purple light was surrounding (Y/N) and small bolts of electricity shot out in all directions. The door slammed behind me and locked itself. The light grew brighter and brighter and I covered my eyes. Once the light had died down, I looked back at (Y/N); she was the same as before. What the Nether was all the purple lightning about? I slowly walked over to my sister and touched her hand. I flew back, hit the wall, and slid down to the ground. I couldn't move and it hurt so much. What hurt? Everything. I looked back at (Y/N); still unconscious. The others ran into the room and looked from me to my sister and back at me. The guys helped me up and made me lay down on a bed next to (Y/N)'s. I eventually fell asleep clutching my sister's hand in hope that she would wake up.

((Y/N)'s P.O.V.)

I gasped and sat up, cringing from the pain. I looked out the window. It was at least midnight. I looked to my right and almost screamed; Sky was lying unconscious on the bed next to mine. He had one huge scar going down his arm and his sleeve was ripped. Was he attacked by something? Or… no, no, no, no, no. I got up and knelt on the floor next to Sky, grasping his hand.

"Sky, please, please, please." I pleaded as I checked for a pulse, but no pulse. I started crying and laid my head on my brother's chest. I sat there crying for what seemed like hours until I felt a heartbeat. Not my own but… my head perked up and I stared at Sky. I checked his pulse again, still nothing. I laid my head back down on his chest and cried even harder. I eventually ran out of tears, but didn't move from my spot. I heard a small groan, I inferred came from me, but didn't move. I thought of a song that would fit this moment perfectly.

"Playground school bell rings, again. Rain clouds come to play, again. Has no one told you she's not breathing? Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to… hello… If I smile and don't believe soon I know I'll wake from this dream. Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken. Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide. Don't cry. Suddenly, I know I'm not sleeping. Hello, I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday." I finished singing and started crying again. I don't want to lose my brother again. As I'm holding my brother's hand, I squeeze it and covered my head with my other arm, sitting next to the head of his bed and leaning against the wall.

"Sky, I still need you here." I whispered, "I need you more than ever. I've been alone for eight years looking for you, hoping you were still alive. It killed me every day knowing that you weren't with me. I hated the possibility that you could have been dead. I hated myself for losing you. I don't want to see you leave me again. I need you." I started crying again and hugged my knees. I needed my brother back. I was alone for eight years, all by myself, surviving, crying every night for Sky. And I was the one who killed him. It was my fault that he was dead; my fault because I was half ender dragon; my fault because I had got captured by the squids. And I could do nothing to save him.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault." I choked out. Someone hugged me, but I didn't care who, so I didn't look up. They started to pet my hair.

"It's not your fault, (Y/N)." It was Jerome that was consoling me and I dug my face into his chest that was covered with fur. It was a bit awkward since we sat in silence for a few minutes until I fell asleep. Jerome picked me up bridal style and put me back in my bed, pulling the covers over top of me.

(Sky's P.O.V.)

I made a small groan when I woke up and heard someone singing.

"Playground school bell rings, again. Rain clouds come to play, again. Has no one told you she's not breathing? Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to… hello… If I smile and don't believe soon I know I'll wake from this dream. Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken. Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide. Don't cry. Suddenly, I know I'm not sleeping. Hello, I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday." After the song was done, I heard crying and someone grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

"Sky, I still need you here." The person whispered, "I need you more than ever. I've been alone for eight years looking for you, hoping you were still alive. It killed me every day knowing that you weren't with me. I hated the possibility that you could have been dead. I hated myself for losing you. I don't want to see you leave me again. I need you. I'm sorry, it's my fault." It sounded like (Y/N). Someone else came into the room.

"It's not your fault, (Y/N)." Jerome, the fluffy bacca, had come in and hugged (Y/N), like she used to comfort me when we were kids. I wanted to reach out to her, but I didn't have enough energy. After a few minutes of silence, I guess (Y/N) fell asleep because I heard the ruffle of sheets and the door closed. All those things (Y/N) had said about needing me, I had felt the same way; she was like my other half. Without her, I just felt empty. I felt around on the floor for (Y/N)'s hand and held it. I fell asleep, dreaming of my family before we were separated; dreaming of my parents, (Y/N) and I playing in the courtyard; dreaming of my father facing Herobrine; being separated from my sister; living with the guys for eight years; crying myself to sleep each night; the memory of being blasted apart popping up every night; hearing the screams of my sister and father each day; pleading that my sister would return one day.

((Y/N)'s P.O.V.)

I woke up and felt someone holding my hand. I looked down to see my hand intertwined with my brother's. I got up and walked over to his bed. It was still early, about 3 AM, so I got into bed with my brother and snuggled into his chest. One of Sky's arms slowly placed itself on my hip and he pulled me closer. I smiled and fell back asleep in my brother's arms.


	10. Chapter IX

(Sorry that I haven't been updating on this story lately. I've just been distracted with school and updating "Escape to the Empire". I had to review the story myself so I could remember what I was , I apologize for my lack of updates. Enjoy chapter nine!)

9

(Sky's P.O.V.)

I woke up, but didn't open my eyes. I felt something against my chest and looked down to see my sister, laying her head on my chest. What really surprised me was that one of my arms was placed across her hip. I didn't want to disturb her, yet I didn't know what to do at this point. An idea popped into my head, but I discarded it since it was a bit mean. I finally decided to kiss the top of her head to wake her up and did so. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at me, but something was off about her eyes. I'd figure it out later.

"I'm so glad you're alright." (Y/N) said, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Come on, I'll make breakfast." She got out of bed and waited for me to follow. I sat up and winced with pain that had come from the night before. Wait, did she know about it? My sister's eyes widened with concern as I groaned in pain.

"Okay, I'll just bring you some breakfast since you're hurt. I making your favorite; chocolate chip pancakes." And with that, she left the room to make the pancakes. I smiled at the thought of them. My friends and I always loved my sister's cooking. We had tons of sleepovers while my father was away on royal business, so (Y/N) had to learn pretty much every basic survival skill there was, cooking included. Jason came in and snapped me out of my thoughts about pancakes.

"Hey, how you feeling?" He asked as he slowly opened the door and looked at my sister's bed, "Where's (Y/N)?"

"Making pancakes for breakfast in the kitchen." Jason smiled as I said 'pancakes' and raced back out the door to the kitchen. I laughed at him and his immense love of pancakes. All of my friends loved pancakes, especially the ones (Y/N) made.

((Y/N)'s P.O.V.)

I ran down the stairs to the kitchen to make my signature pancakes for the guys. Running was a big mistake; I tripped myself and fell down the stairs. As I reached the bottom, I found myself laughing my head off and Mitch coming from the kitchen and Jason coming from the stairs to help me up, who were laughing as well.

"Sky told me you were making pancakes. Am I correct?" Jason asked and I nodded while Mitch's eyes widened and he smiled. They started to run around the room screaming, "PANCAKES!" I turned on the stove and got out a pan. I won't explain the whole 'Life of a Pancake' story, but I'll just say that Ty and Jerome ran in like savage beasts due to the smell of the pancakes. I served them their pancakes and grabbed the last plate and went upstairs. I knocked on the door to me and my brother's room.

"Come in." came from the other side and I opened the door to find Sky's smiling face looking up at me. I handed him the plate and a fork. A thud sounded from downstairs followed by, "THE PANCAKES ARE MINE!" I laughed and went downstairs to investigate. I came downstairs to see the table had been turned on its side while Ty and Mitch hid behind it and Jerome was standing on a chair screaming, "THE PANCAKES ARE MINE!" Jason was lying on the floor, pretending that Jerome had killed him on his raid for pancakes. I just stood there, laughing my head off at the scene.

"W-What the N-Nether h-happened down h-here?" I asked between giggles and Jason looked at me, still on the floor.

"I have been assaulted! Go on without me!" He wailed and his head flopped to the side comically. I laughed again and picked him up by the arm and carried him upstairs to his spare room that I made for him. I slowly tried to lay Jason down on the bed, but slipped and fell onto the bed myself with Jason on top of me, our faces inches from each other. I froze; this was so awkward. Jason froze as well and stared into my eyes. We stayed frozen like this for what seemed like hours until Jerome came in with Ty and Mitch behind him. Jerome and Mitch only laughed while Ty seemed to be boiling up with… jealousy? Did Ty like me? Did anyone else like me? Why am I thinking about this? What is Sky doing? Either eating pancakes or napping, to answer the last question. Jason and I looked back at each other, blushed madly, and Jason got up and helped me up.

"I'm going to check on Sky now." I murmured and launched myself into me and my brother's room. Literally, launched myself. Sky was surprised by my sudden entrance and tried to get up, but groaned in pain and I rushed to his side.

"Sky!" I nearly yelled, "You know you're not supposed to get up!" I lifted him back onto the bed and sat on the edge. I hid my face in my hands and sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Sky asked and I nodded. I crawled closer to him and he pulled me into a hug.

"Okay so, why did you throw yourself into the room?" Sky asked, but I just mumbled what had happened, "Speak up, come on. You can tell me." I sighed, but didn't look at my brother. I explained how it unraveled. I didn't dare tell about Ty. Sky pulled me closer, but I just stared off into space. Suddenly, the door flew open and… Oh my Notch. My best friend Seto was standing in the doorway, looking tired and concerned.

"S-Seto?" I asked. That was the only word to come out. Seto, my best friend from the kingdom, was standing in front of me and I couldn't believe it. I had lost him eight years ago. I remember it vaguely.

_I ran across the village to the forest, trying to get far away. As I ran, I passed by my best friend's house. Seto had seen me running and came outside to follow me. A block of TNT had come flying through the air, aiming straight at Seto. I tried to warn him, but I was too late. I kept running._

I stood up, still staring at Seto.

"But, I thought… the TNT… and you…" I muttered, still not taking my eyes off of Seto. He shrugged.

"What can I say, I'm a sorcerer." He said and giggled. I smiled.

"At least we're all alive and well." Sky said from behind us. Apparently, he had gotten up without struggle and made his way over to me. My brother put an arm around my shoulders and hugged me. Thunder crackled outside and I winced; it was always a terrible reminder of my father's downfall. Sky held me closer, sensing my sorrow; it's a sibling thing we have. Seto looked at us and raised an eyebrow. Sky explained what happened to our father in our youth and a brilliant idea came to mind.

"I've got it!" I yelled and Sky and Seto stared at me as I smiled widely. I turned to my brother, "We can restore the castle! That way, we have a safe place to live. We can restore the village, too." I ran downstairs laughing like a maniac and into the storage room. I grabbed every single block I had in the chests; put them in my inventory and satchel bag I had on, and ran back upstairs to get the others in on this.

I was giggling like a little girl as we ran to the castle. I never really grew up, speaking of maturity. I ran up the front steps with my brother trailing behind me and stopped at the large, wooden front doors, which had a few holes here and there, but they were small enough to buff out. I ran my fingers over the rough surface and pushed the door open. The throne room was as I had seen it only a few days ago. My brother and our friends came in behind me and gasped.

"I remember playing in here during the Games." Jason said softly from behind me. Ty, Sky, and I agreed with, "Yeah," and "Good times," Thunder crashed outside and I shrieked as a shadowed figure loomed in front of me. It pushed me to the ground and I felt electricity bolt through me. I cried out in pain and heard Sky attempting to reach me. A glittering white dome appeared above me and started to sink down into the floor, dragging me with it. I was still helpless due to the shock of the voltage coursing through my veins. My skin stung as I began to phase through the floor. My brother's shouts were the last thing I heard before I was engulfed in darkness.

I grunt in agony as I crashed to the jagged nether rack floor. I sat up and rubbed my head, prying my eyes open to analyze my surroundings. I was in a confining nether brick room, and when I say "room" I mean "cell", with a flat futon with a blanket and what I presumed to be a pillow in the corner. On the wall behind me hung two chains with cuffs at the ends, its base melted into the bricks. I pushed myself onto my elbows, panting, and the door creaked as it opened. I lifted my head up to see white eyes shining like crystals in the obscurities: Herobrine.

"Why'd you bring me here?" I asked my voice weak and soft. He approaches me, grabbing my wrist in one hand and one of the cuffs in the other. I flinched as the clicking of the metal echoed around us.

"I've had my fun with your father. Now," He put a finger under my chin, forcing me to face him, "it's your turn." His grip on my hands faded and I fell to my knees in defeat as Herobrine exited the room. I hung my head and closed my eyes; how'd this take such a dark turn? (Well, I am the author- SHUT UP! AND STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL!) The door soon groaned open again and I recoiled in fear. A hand forced my head against the wall, the brick pattern etching into my face. A sharp stinging ran through my neck as a needle pierced my skin. I yelled as everything started to burn. Black dots began to cloud my vision and I struggled to stay awake… but I failed; I gave into sleep.

(Comment down below what you think the needle was for! Just a head's up, if you're squeamish, I suggest not reading the next chapter because it takes a sudden dark path. But I had to put it in because it's part of the story. I don't know why I describe it so accurately to what it's really like. 0-0)


	11. Chapter X

(Warning: extremely graphic, as in gory, like blood!)

10 ((Y/N)'s POV)

I groaned as I pried my eyes open, staring down at my blood stained torso. I lifted my head up and suddenly felt a jolt of pain rush through me. I gasped in pain and turned my head so that I was gazing at my hands, which were pierced by sharp hooks fixed to the wall. I wanted to scream, but couldn't; my voice was lost. Blood was leaking down from where the gash in my hands was. The squeaking of the hinges on the door caught my attention and I lifted my head up. Herobrine entered, smirking. I drew back as he neared me, which didn't help much. He grabbed my chin, his eyes flickering from one of mine to the other. His smirk grew into a grin and he let go of my head. I felt myself being lifted, my hands slipping off of the hooks and I flinched at the pain. I was carried through the halls and into a white room with a silver table propped up against the wall. On the sides of the table were leather straps, I presumed for fastening a person to it. I shivered at its touch and the leather straps wrapped around my wrists and ankles, bounding me to the cold metal. I was lying with my cheek pressed against the table, my back exposed and front covered by the sheet of steel. I struggled against the grip of the leather to escape, but failed. Sudden pain shot through my shoulder blade cue to the skin being ripped apart. I screamed and the flesh of my other shoulder blade split. I could feel my nerves being tampered with, as if they were wires and I was simply an animatronic character. It stopped, but only for a moment. A rustle sounded behind me and my damaged skin was met with scales. My skin began to fuse with it with the help of flames licking the open wound. I shrieked at the pain. The thin stretch of skin that lies atop my tail bone was torn, it too being met with scales and fire and fusing with my own flesh. I was left a minute to rest, sobbing, before the top of my head was met with the same treatment.

"Perfect…" Herobrine muttered behind me as the pain ceased and I was granted a moment to relax. The leather straps were undone and I was lifted back into the air. As I was being carried out of the room, I was forced to stare at the large pool of blood on the floor beneath the metal table. I was rushed back down the hall and thrown into my cell, landing on my stomach and attempting to push myself onto my elbows. I shivered constantly and barely had enough strength to lift my head.

"What did you do to me?" I gasped and Herobrine chuckled.

"You'll see soon enough," He responded, "And you'll love it. So will your brother." A crash erupted above us, "Speak of the devil…" He smirked and left. I lie on the floor, panting and trying to stand. I eventually crawled over to the pathetic excuse for a bed and pulled myself on top of it. I stuffed my face into the pillow and cried. I could barely move and I didn't want to. I was too tired and weak. Shouts exploded in the hall.

"Herobrine," Someone yelled, "what have you done with my sister?!" A scream soon followed, as well as the squeaking of a cell door's hinges. A thud echoed, breaking the moment of silence, and the door was slammed closed.

"Sky- AH!" Another shrieked, being thrown into a different cell. This repeated three other times, all with cries of different names.

"Come back, coward!" The first voice shouted, which my brain was too weak to identify, "Give my sister back!" It clicked; it was Sky.

"Your sister," Herobrine shouted back to him, "is dead! She is nothing but a corpse!" Hinges squeaked; oh no, "And now it's your turn!" After few moments silence, a door opened and was slammed closed.

"Sky, no!" Jason's voice shouted.

"No," I panted, "no, Sky…" I continue to lay helpless on the thin mattress as my brother's screams filled the hall. The door swung open once again and Sky was thrown back into his cell. I could hear his weak cries of pain… which were close.

"She's dead," He muttered, "She's really dead."

Mitch interrupted, "No, Sky, she's not."

"SHE IS," My brother screamed, "DIDN'T YOU HEAR HIM?! SHE'S DEAD!"

"No, she's not," Mitch countered, "She's in the cell across from mine!" I pushed myself onto my elbows. My head throbbed and I clutched it with one hand. Another scream added to the pain.

"TY!" Mitch shrieked. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, my balance faltering and causing me to slam into the wall. I pushed myself off of the wall, still clutching my forehead.

"Ugh," I moaned softly, "my… head…" I shook my head gently and took my hand off of the wall. I lifted my head up and faced Mitch. He seemed to read the look in my eyes and pointed to my left. I nodded weakly and stumbled over to the left wall of my cell, resting my head against it. A door slammed and Ty's shouts ricocheted off the walls, a pang of anger adding to my headache. I closed my eyes and sighed, sliding my back down against the wall.

"I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I know I let you down, didn't I?" I sang softly, "So many sleepless nights where you were waiting up on me. Well, I'm just a slave unto the night. Now remember when I told you that's the last you'll see of me? Remember when I broke you down to tears? I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I gave you hell through all the years." I waited for Sky to sing back, but he never did. I wrapped my arms around my knees, the chorus of the song bouncing around in my head.

"I've been around the world and never in my wildest dreams would I come running home to you," I continued, "I've told a million lies but now I tell a single truth; there's you in everything I do. Now remember when I told you that's the last you'll see of me? Remember when I broke you down to tears? I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I gave you hell through all the years." I once again waited for my brother to respond, but got nothing.

"Don't tell me that I'm wrong; I've walked that road before and left you on your own. And please believe them when they say that it's left for yesterday and the records that I've played. Please forgive me… for all… I've done…" My voice cracked at the last line and tried to hold back tears, resting my head on my arms. I wanted him to answer, but all I heard was blood curdling shrieks. My cell door was suddenly thrown open. I lifted up my head to see Jerome standing in the doorway. At first, he stood there staring at me, dazed, then shook it off and ran over to help me onto my feet.

"Holy… What happened to you?" He asked and placed a hand on my cheek. I was curious myself of what had happened.

"I don't want to explain," I said, shivering at the thought. I threw myself out of the cell and grabbed the bars to the one to the left, staring into it. But all I could see was sheer darkness.

"Sky," I pleaded, "please. This isn't funny." No response. I hit my fist against the bars and they broke off, falling to the floor with a loud _clang!_ I took a step back, and was reminded of my main goal. I turned my attention to the door, grabbing a pin from my hair and starting to pick the lock. The click of it was louder than it would usually be and it made me cringe, afraid that it would catch Herobrine's attention. The door swung open and I stepped inside, calling for my brother. A gasp came from the corner and I slowly approached it. I reached a hand out and someone grabbed my wrist. I gasped and tried to stay calm, even though I was going ballistic inside. Whoever grabbed my wrist had stood, but they didn't move from there. I was left breathing heavily, frozen with fear. Their touch chilled my skin and the smell of blood that emitted from them made me gag a little. They placed their other hand on my cheek, and I closed my eyes, shivering. I had no idea if this was my brother or not.

"You're alive," They whispered and I nodded, pulling the figure into the light. I smiled once I saw it was my brother, but it faded when I saw his condition. His chocolate brown hair, which was a mess, had a tinge of red in some places thanks to dried blood and one of his sleeves was torn off, his exposed arm covered in blood. The black sunglasses he wore were nothing but frames with bits of the lenses sticking out. I looked down at his amulet, which had very few drops of blood covering the amethyst and budder. My gaze drifted back to his eyes and I bit my lip, pulling my brother into a hug.

"What…" I whispered in a choked voice, "did… he do to you?"

"There's no time for that," He responded; I didn't need an explanation, I already knew how it felt, "We need to get out of here." I pulled back and nodded, focusing on Ty's shrieks. But they weren't there. My smile faded and I let go of Sky, peering into and staring down the hall. The door at the end opened and Herobrine emerged carrying Ty, who was barely alive. In panic, I pushed my brother back into the shadows and darted back into my cell. I looked up in time to see Jerome leaping back into his cell as Herobrine's footsteps came thundering towards the room next to Mitch's. He pushed open the door and carelessly tossed Ty in. Ty's cry of pain made me wince. Herobrine then turned and approached my brother's cell, smirking.

"How does it feel?" He asked, "Having everything you've ever loved taken away from you. It hurts doesn't it? I should know; the imbecile that calls me 'brother' did the same."

"Then why are you taking it out on us?" My brother snapped, "Why not your brother?"

"He loves the inhabitants of this world. You pathetic humans are at the top of his list. I'm simply showing my wrath by 'taking it out' on his most beloved possession."

"Why did you choose these few specific people?"

"I've always hated your family. I had the squids try and take your sister when you were younger. That plan didn't work out as well; your mother sacrificed herself to save her." Herobrine groaned in annoyance, "Your friends seemed like family to you. That statement speaks for itself. Now," He looked from Jerome to Mitch, "to continue my fun." Both cells opened and Jerome and Mitch were lifted out of their cells, struggling against Herobrine's grip. I ran over to the bars of the cell, grasping them and groaning in irritation. The door slammed and Mitch started screaming in pain as Jerome protested against it. I banged my fist against the cold metal and ran my fingers through my hair. I opened the door to my cell again and threw open the door to my brother's cell.

"Come on," I directed and Sky stepped out into the hall, "You get Ty and Jason. I'll get Jerome and Mitch." My brother's eyes widened.

"What? No! That's crazy! We're doing this together!" He nearly yelled.

"It's fine, Sky," I replied, "Just get them out of here. I don't want any more damage done." I started walking backwards down the hall towards the room. I clenched my hand into a fist, tapped my chest twice, and put up to fingers before running down the hall.


	12. Chapter XI

11 ((Y/N)'s POV)

I reached my hand out to the door knob, but hesitated. Mitch's shrieks were still erupting inside, as well as Jerome's objections. I hadn't planned this out, so I had no idea what I was doing. Mitch's muffled screaming stopped suddenly and were replaced by sobs as well as footsteps leading to the door. I panicked and pressed myself against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut. The cries were no longer stifled, even after the door shut. I pried my eyes open, but it was hard to depict where I was; it was close to pitch black. I could still make out the silhouette of a thick, large metal sheet. I pushed myself away from the wall and slowly advanced towards it. I accidently smacked my head on it and hissed at the pain. Chains clicked in the corner, causing me to glance in the sound's direction. Someone was over there. They stood up slowly, obviously afraid.

"Mitch," He whispered, and it clicked; it was Jerome, "Mitch, he's back." I rubbed my forehead and come around to the other side of the metal sheet, seeing leather straps which were bounding Mitch to it. I gently set my hand on top of the leather bound, my fingers brushing a thick liquid. Mitch flinched, and I could tell he was trying to hold back tears.

"Shh," I hushed, "it's alright. It's just me." My voice seemed to calm him and I carefully unhooked the leather strap, moving on to the other ties. Once I was done, Mitch slipped off of the table and lost his footing. He fell and I caught him. I could fell his blood staining my clothes.

"Can you walk?" I mumbled and he nodded. I let him stand, but he quickly lost balance again. I caught him once more and threw his arm over my shoulder, carrying him over to Jerome. Mitch kneeled beside me as I picked the locks on Jerome's chains, who stared at me in fear and disbelief.

"(Y/N)," He muttered and I nodded, helping him to his feet. I started to walk towards the door, but the lights flickered on. I looked from Jerome to the door.

"Take him," I commanded as I handed Mitch over to Jerome. The door opened and I stood in front of the pair. Herobrine entered, shocked and angry. I heard a sudden swooshing behind me, but didn't let it break my focus. I glared at Herobrine as he drew near me. He was smirking.

"So," He stated, "You've decided to be the hero, have you?" He laughed and drew a sword, putting it to my neck, "It will be your demise."

"Jerome," I commanded without taking my eyes off the blade, "go. Meet up with the others." I got into a fighting stance, my fists hovering in front of my torso and nails digging into my skin. The door shut behind me and Herobrine attacked. He brought his sword down as to strike me but I dodged. He swung the sword, aiming at my side, and I blocked with nothing more than my bare hands. He teleported behind me and hit the back of my head with the hilt of his sword, which knocked me to the floor. I groaned and put a hand to my head, propping myself up on my elbows. Herobrine placed his foot on my back and pressed me against the floor. I glanced over my shoulder and stared in horror as he held his sword with both hands, ready to strike.

"Say hi to your parents for me," He requested and he brought the blade down, striking my back. I cried out in pain and Herobrine removed his sword from my flesh, leaving me on the floor to suffer. He smirks and turns towards the door, exiting the room. The door slammed and I suddenly heard sparks. I lifted my head up and see few bolts of lightning arching over me. I glance back down to see myself transforming into programming code. I watched as it floated away, every piece of code following the same path. The process finally reached my head and I passed out.

I groaned to life and pried my eyes open to find myself on the floor of my bedroom in the castle. I sat up and held a hand to my head; great, even worse of a headache. I helped myself onto my feet and found a mirror staring back at me. I guessed it was time to see what that lunatic had done to me. As I stared at my front side, I thought I looked normal, given the circumstances. My perspective dramatically changed once I had viewed my backside; I was mesmerized by the dragon tail poking out of my jeans as I watched it swish back and forth. My gaze drifted to the large dragon wings implanted in my back, staring as I forced them to open and close. I nearly knocked over a lamp while doing so. I came closer to the mirror, gaping at the scaly, black and purple, cat-like ears atop my head. My human ears were gone; I must've missed the pain that it caused earlier because I honestly didn't remember that happening. Yells and shouts exploded downstairs, which caught my attention. I slipped out of my bedroom and stood on the stairwell, observing the fight. Jason was holding Sky back from reaching Jerome, who was kneeling next to a barely conscious Mitch.

"What is wrong with you?!" My brother yelled at Jerome, "You could've helped her!"

"She told me to leave!" Jerome screeched back, "I was following orders! You should know better, you're a prince. You're all about orders."

"You did not just play that card! Just because I'm royalty doesn't mean I'm crazy for rules!"

"You're sister was royalty, and I followed her orders. It's part of the law."

"Yeah, and thanks to 'the law' she's probably dead!"

"Wow," I muttered, "great to know you have so much faith in me."

"Do you not think she's still alive?" Jerome argued, "Nice to know you have so much faith in her!"

"Thank you, Jerome." I murmured.

"Given the circumstances of that situation," Sky countered, "I doubt she's still alive! She's just a girl! She can't even fall asleep alone! What makes you think she can handle herself in that situation?! She's weak! That's why she never trained with us! She only instructed us! She can't fight!"

Tears threatened to roll down my cheeks as I yelled, "Well, if that's true, how do you think I've survived eight years alone?! I had no one to protect me! And I don't need to be protected! I'm not weak, you little… ugh!" I stormed back into my room, slamming and locking the door behind me and marching out onto the balcony. Anger festered inside me, causing me to kick the railing. I stared down at my apparel, thinking, _I'll show him who's weak…_ I reentered my bedroom and threw the doors to the closet open. I pushed aside the dresses that hung in front of my face and kneeled in front of a box with "20 Years" written on it in marker. The faint smell of ink still lingered around it and a cloud of dust exploded when I went to open the box. I hesitated and stood back up, walking to my bedside and turning on the iPod that sat on its charger, hoping it still worked. The screen lit up and I smirked. I scrolled through each song and selected "It's Been so Long" by The Living Tombstone. I walked back into my closet letting the music play and once again kneeled in front of the box. I opened the flaps and dug through it, lifting up numerous books. I pulled out a pair of deep navy blue jeans, a black belt with a budder buckle, a pair of black hunting boots, a dark red-violet short-sleeved shirt, and a black hooded jacket. I took a dagger from my dresser drawer and cut holes in the back of the shirt, jacket, and jeans for my wings and tail. The song ended and "Mangled" by NateWantstoBattle started to play as I threw off my old garb. I took a thin stretch of wool and wrapped it around my wound. I slipped on the new outfit and went back to my dresser, pulling out a pair of black gloves and sliding them on. I grabbed my amulet and spilled it back around my neck. I glanced at myself in the mirror, my gaze drifting to my hair. No bangs, I'm changing that. I grabbed the dagger again and unbraided my hair. I grasped the section of hair that was right above my eyes and let the dagger slice through it. The hair tickled my skin as it curled up and I put the dagger back in the drawer.

"Changing your appearance doesn't change who you are." I turned around the see Herobrine leaning against the wall, "You're still weak, like your brother says." Only now did the pain of my injury hit me and I doubled over. Clutching my stomach, I supported myself against the dresser and stood back up.

"I'm not weak," I muttered, "You're lying."

"Sorry to break it to you sweetheart-."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I yelled with an explosion of anger and pain coursing through me, "DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME YOUR SWEETHEART! I'VE NEVER LIKED YOU!" He chuckled and put his hands up in defense.

"Calm down, I'm only speaking the truth. So was your brother." Sky's words bounced around in my head, fueling my anger.

"I'm not weak and I can fight. I can fend for myself."

"Then how is it that when we were fighting earlier, I won and you nearly died?" I had no response, "Caught you there, didn't I?"

"You have an unfair advantage," I muttered, "You're a god, you have supernatural powers."

"But I wasn't using them."

"Bullshit!" I yelled, "You teleported behind me and knocked me to the ground!"

"Fine, you caught me. But I still doubt you can fend for yourself. You couldn't even defeat a few measly squids." Okay, that hurt. He put a finger under my chin, forcing me to look at him as he smirked.

"Try me." I growled.

"I already did." He poked my wound and I stumbled back, "Face it; you're weak. You can't fight. You'll die within a day." He pushed me to the ground and pressed my head against the floor with his foot; whoa, Déjà vu, much? He suddenly disappeared and I pushed myself up onto my elbows. Someone knocked on the door and I froze.

"(Y/N)," It was my brother, "I-I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was just angry… I don't want to lose you again. So, can you unlock the door?" I stood and brushed myself off, then walked out onto the balcony, ignoring my brother.

"I don't want apologies," I responded, my voice deeper than normal, "I want a chance to prove myself."


	13. Chapter XII

((Y/N)'s POV)

"A chance to prove yourself?" My brother's muffled voice asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know," I answered.

"I'm not acting, (Y/N). Just unlock the door."

"No."

"(Y/N)…"

"What?"

"What happened to you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what?"

"Like… that. It's not you."

"Yeah, because the 'real' me is weak and helpless because she's a girl."

"(Y/N), you know I don't think of you like that."

"Then why did you yell it at Jerome?"

"I was angry with him for not staying back with you. You got hurt."

"'Hurt' is an understatement."

"You almost died? This is why I was yelling at him to stay with you!"

"Yes, because, apparently, I CAN'T FIGHT!" Tears started to roll down my cheeks as I screamed at the door, "YOU SAID SO YOURSELF!"

"(Y/N), I-I…" I heard him choke up. My eyes stung and I stumbled over to the mirror, seeing the pupils as slits… like a dragon's eye. My head was pounding. I put a hand to my forehead and sat on my bed.

"Sky," I muttered, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I don't know what came over me. I-I…" I tensed up. I suddenly couldn't control myself anymore. I wanted to cry out for help, but I only stood there. The lock on the door clicked and it swung open, revealing Ty, Jason, and my brother… My brother; I felt a sudden hatred for him. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was my brother's terrified expression as I lunged for him.

(Sky's POV)

I shrieked as (Y/N) lunged at me and I jumped out of the way. I jumped over the railing and landed in the main room, bolting towards the weapons room and grabbing an iron sword. After arriving back in the main room, I looked up to (Y/N)'s balcony and saw her struggling against Ty's grip while Jason lay unconscious on the ground. I ran back up the stairs and, upon spotting me, (Y/N) overpowered Ty, sending him flying over the railing.

"Ty," I yelled and, while I was distracted, (Y/N) tackled me. We tumbled down the stairs and landed with her on top of me. She unhooked the sword from her sheath.

"I can fend for myself!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face, "I don't need you!" I stared at her, but mainly her eyes, which had a subtle red tint to them. She got off of me and stood, waiting and glaring at me. I slowly helped myself onto my feet, not taking my eyes off of (Y/N), who was just smirking at me.

"Why are you not attacking me?" I asked boldly, but a hint of fear still lingered in my voice.

"I said I wanted a chance to prove myself," She responded and teleported so that she was inches from my face, "This is my time to shine." She kicked me to the ground, but I got up quicker than before. I swung my sword at her and she blocked with ease. (Y/N) teleported away and appeared behind me, almost stabbing me but I saw her just in time so that didn't happen. I spun around and cut her shoulder with my blade, but not before she did the same to my arm. She teleported again and was charging at me from behind. Our swords clashed together and I kicked her hand, sending her sword flying through the air and (Y/N) stumbled back, ending up with her back facing me and watching as her sword hit the ground. She didn't move, which gave me a moment to rest.

"I've taught you well, little brother," (Y/N) proclaimed, "You're choosing to play like that, then?" I took a few steps toward her and she spun around so quickly that I had no time to react, kicking the sword out of my hand. In my moment of weakness, (Y/N) grabbed my wrists and pinned me against the brick wall, her nails digging into my skin.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" My sister whispered. I was stunned. I couldn't move. Fear froze me as I watched her eyes slowly fade back to normal and her smirk disappear. I saw my chance; I kicked her stomach, making her fall back and land on the ground. She clutched her forehead and I wanted to comfort her, but I wasn't taking any chances. I grabbed my sword and swung at (Y/N). Her hand shot up and grabbed the blade, pulling it out of my grip and she threw it behind her.

"Tsk, tsk," She clicked her tongue and I could see the red glowing in her eyes, "That's no way to play with an _elemental, _now is it?" She stuck her hand out to the side, palm up, and a small ball of fire erupted, hovering just inches above her skin. (Y/N) smirked at me and tossed the ball of fire at me like it was a softball. I was stunned for a moment, but ducked out of its path. It only charred the end of my rat-tail (guy ponytail… deal with it. (Y/N): Sky! Sky: Oh, shit…). I stood back up, gripping my sword and glaring at (Y/N).

"(Y/N)," I cried as I jumped out of the way of another fire ball, "I know this isn't you! I know you're in there! Fight it!" I didn't know exactly what 'it' was, but I wanted my sister back.

"I'm guessing fire won't work on you," She groaned, her smile growing, "Let's try something else. My personal favorite—" A bolt of lightning struck in front of me, causing me to jump back in fear, "—lightning." I turned my focus back to my sister, seeing her eyes glowing yellow (OMG Skybrine!). Realizing I couldn't fight her myself, I called out for my friends.

"'Ty, Jason, Seto,'" (Y/N) cried out, mocking me, "Your friends can't help you now! I've taken care of them!" She gestured behind her to Mitch, Jerome, Seto, Ty, and Jason, who lay unconscious on the cold stone floor.

"Sky," Someone shouted behind me, "Sky, turn around!"

"I'm a bit busy at the moment!" I yelled back, getting ready to block my sister's attack; she had knelt down with her hand on the floor, wind thrashing her hair around. (Y/N) stood back up; arms crossed in front of her torso and smirking at me, she threw her arms back down to her sides. A strong wind blew towards me and made it difficult to stand. Someone was shouting commands behind me, but they were inaudible to me. I closed my eyes and dropped to knees, but I wasn't ready to give up. My sister's cry of pain was soon followed by the wind stopping. I fell onto my face since I was trying to push against the wind, but quickly pushed myself back onto my knees. I slowly regained my balance and readied myself for an attack… but nothing came. I opened my eyes to see (Y/N) lying unconscious where she stood with someone I thought I'd never see again panting and holding up their sword.

"T-Tyler?!" I asked in disbelief and he nodded, slipping his sword back into his sheath.

"We're here, too!" Another voice complained behind me and I spun around, smiling once I saw Ian and Husky. Ian was still in his classic suit, and the Fish in his. I waved excitedly and ran over to hug them.

"I haven't seen you guys since the kingdom fell!" I cried. Tyler, who had his black and red checkered jacket tied around his waist, shrugged and laughed as he walked over to join us.

"Anyways, what was that about?" He asked, jerking a thumb at my sister.

"I have no idea. But, honestly, I don't think my life will ever be normal."

((Y/N)'s POV)

Something hit the back of my head just as I was about to strike my brother with a bolt of lightning and I fell to the ground, unconscious.

I groaned and pushed myself onto my elbows, letting my eyes flutter open.

"What… the hell…?" I grumbled, realization bitch-slapping me in the face; I could control myself again! The memory of my last action before I blacked out flashed in my mind.

"S-Sky…" I muttered, panting. I clutched my forehead and set my head back down on the stone floor.

"It burns…" I moaned, prolonging 'burns'. Two sets of arms helped me onto my feet, but my head hung and I was only brought to my knees. I was too tired to fight against my captors… or were they my friends? A hand lifted my chin up so that I faced my brother, his sleeve ripped and covered in blood. Did I do that?

"I-I…" I muttered, my voice wavering, but I was interrupted by Sky pulling me into a hug. What the hell happened?


	14. Chapter XIII

( watch?v=3ZsG2ZNf...)  
(don't play the song until told.)  
((Y/N)'s POV)

I could barely keep my eyes open as Sky let go of me. Whoever was holding me helped me to my feet and I finally turned my head, flinching from the soreness as I did, to glance at the person to my right.

"I-Ian…" I choked out, "Husky… but I thought…" I trailed off as they let go of my arms and, due to my knees buckling, nearly fell over backwards onto the floor. A pair of arms caught me and I expected to see my brother, but, as I looked up, I saw it wasn't. Who I saw was a boy about my age and my height smiling down at me. I knew I'd seen him before… but where? His thick square glasses and scruffy light brown hair were so familiar… I chuckled nervously, seeing a light blush on his cheeks, and he pulled me to my feet. I nearly fell again, but this time Sky caught me and threw one of my arms around his shoulders. My head was throbbing and my eyes stung.

"W-What… happened?" I groaned, clutching my forehead, "The last thing I remember was…" I trailed off again, my eyes stinging. I squeaked in pain and covered my eyes, slipping out of my brother's grasp and falling to the floor. I landed on my stomach and pushed myself onto my elbows, my hand still over my eyes. It suddenly stopped. I took my hand away from my eyes and froze once again.

"H-Help…" I whispered before I was engulfed in darkness for a second time.

(Tyler's POV)

"H-Help…" (Y/N) muttered before tensing up again. She started to laugh quietly, and then it got louder and louder as she lifted her head up. She threw an arm in Sky's direction and earth shot up in front of him, causing him to jump back. (Y/N) stood up and turned to face Sky, and that's when I saw her eyes glowing red. She began to conduct flames that appeared out of nowhere, wrapping them around Sky as he screamed.

"(Y/N), stop!" Ian yelled and tried to grab her arm, but (Y/N) spun around and threw her arms into the air. Mounts of rock shot up from the ground and trapped him and Husky. (Y/N) suddenly squeezed her eyes closed and bared her teeth.

"No," She shouted, "No!" Her eyes snapped open and she clutched her forehead… and then she turned to me. I grabbed the hilt of my sword as she began to walk towards me.

"Oh, don't worry," She cooed, waving her hand and a strong wind blew my sword out of my hand, "I have a special place for you." She held her hand out to the side and my sword flew into her hand. She raised the sword, aiming the hilt of it at my head and striking it, causing me to black out.

I pried my eyes open and attempted to clutch my forehead, but I couldn't move my arm. I turned my attention to my wrists, seeing them covered by leather straps that bounded me to the table. The same had been done to my ankles. A door to my left opened and (Y/N) entered through it, holding a battle axe. I stared in horror as she walked closer to me and she pulled a remote out of her pocket. She pressed the button and silence filled the air around until… (Play the song!)

"It's not…" She sang, smirking, "easy having yourself a good time. Greasing up those bets and betters, watching out they don't four-letter. F**k and kiss you both at the same time. Smells-like something I've forgotten; curled up died and now it's rotten. I'm not a gangster tonight; don't want to be a bad guy. I'm just a loner baby and now you've gotten in my way. I can't decide whether you should live or die. Oh, you'll probably go to heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry. No wonder why my heart feels dead inside; it's cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors and close the blinds; we're going for a ride." She paused as upbeat music played.

"It's a… bitch convincing people to like you. If I stop now call me a quitter. If lies were cats you'd be a litter. Pleasing everyone isn't like you. Dancing jigs until I'm crippled. Slug ten drinks, I won't get pickled. I've got to hand it to you; you've played by all the same rules. It takes the truth to fool me and now you've made me angry. I can't decide whether you should live or die. Oh, you'll probably go to heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry. No wonder why my heart feels dead inside; it's cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors and close the blinds; we're going for a ride.

"Oh I could throw you in the lake or feed you poisoned birthday cake. I won't deny I'm gonna miss you when you're gone. Oh I could bury you alive, but you might crawl out with a knife and kill me when I'm sleeping; that's why I can't decide whether you should live or die. Oh, you'll probably go to heaven. Please don't hang your head and cry. No wonder why my heart feels dead inside; it's cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors and close the blinds; we're going for a ride." As the outro music played, (Y/N) pulled a dagger from her belt and put it under my chin, digging it into my skin. I could feel my blood dripping down my neck and tried to scream, but nothing came out except a raspy breath of air. The dagger was removed from my throat and I gasped for air. (Y/N) smirked and drew back her arm, as if to throw a baseball, but she froze and the red glow faded away from her eyes.

((Y/N)'s POV)

The world faded back into view and it felt as if someone had bitch-slapped me. I lowered my arm and stared at the floor. My gaze flickered to the bloody dagger in my hand and I screamed, dropping it. Covering my nose and mouth with my hands, my eyes darted to the boy... wait... it was Tyler! He acted like a brother to Sky and I saw him around the castle a lot before... But now, I was staring at him strapped to a metal table and blood dripping down his neck. I gasped and hesitated to step towards him.

"T-Tyler," I whispered, starting to cry, "I don't know… I-I'm sorry, I…" I shook my head lightly and ran over to his side, unhooking the leather straps from the table and helping Tyler onto his feet. He lost his balance and we both fell to the floor. Tyler pushed himself onto his elbows and found himself on top of me. His face turned bright red and I felt my face heat up. He chuckled nervously once he realized that he was still on top of me and stood up, reaching out a hand to me. Still blushing, I grabbed it and Tyler pulled me to my feet.

"Where are we?" He asked, his voice raspy (which was my fault), glancing around. I did the same and it clicked.

"We're below the castle," I answered, "in the dungeons." It was the same room where Herobrine turned me into… into a _monster. _I threw myself through the door with Tyler following close behind me and slowly walked towards the end of the hall. My gaze flickered to a cell and I was entranced; it was the cell I was in before… I stared, horrified by the pool of blood, _my blood,_ that dripped down the walls and settled on the floor. The smell of blood lingered in front of the cell and made me gag slightly. Tyler, who had been strolling down the hall as I stared into the dark room, noticed I wasn't following him and ran back to me. He waved a hand in front of my face, but I gaze unmoving at the cell, more specifically the blood. Tyler looked into the cell and stepped back once he processed the scent and pool of my blood, turning to me for an answer.

"What happened in there?" Tyler questioned and I opened my mouth to answer, but I didn't say anything. I quickly shut it and flexed one of my wings to tell the story. Tyler gasped and I folded my wings as he walked towards me. He slipped his arms around me, pulling me into an embrace, and I returned the gesture, beginning to cry. Once I had run out of tears, I leaned my head against Tyler's chest, taking shaky breaths. I could feel his steady heart beat and his blood dripping down onto my head, staining my hair… and it was because of me.

"Tyler," I whispered, "I didn't know what I was doing, I just… I couldn't control myself, and I hurt you…" I lifted my head up and stared into his eyes, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

"That wasn't you, though." He replied and smiled sympathetically. We stayed frozen for a moment before Tyler's lips crashed onto mine. I closed my eyes and pressed my hands against his chest, slowly wrapping them around his neck. The door at the end of the hall burst open, but Tyler and I were unfazed.

"(Y/N)," Someone yelled, "Tyler... What the hell am I looking at…?" Tyler and I pulled back for air and turned to see my brother smirking… and covered in blood and scorch marks. Parts of his sleeve were ripped off with the ends charred, but his amulet was in perfect shape… (WTF, THAT THING IS MAGIC!) I felt my face heat up and hid it in Tyler's chest. Oh. My. Notch.


	15. TC Forum!

Hey guys, it's me Sky and this isn't an actual update to the story, but don't skip it! I have put up a forum to role-play TC style in. I already have one other member that's playing Mitch's little sister and I'm playing Adam's little sister. If you would like to join, PM me and I'll see if I can set up a character for you. I don't have all the characters' persona descriptions up yet, but I will soon. I have four female and six male characters available. Don't forget to PM me which character you want to be. This is the title to the forum right here: Team Crafted Role-Play: siblings

If you wish to look at what Bailey and I already have in the story, feel free to check, but don't post until I've given you a character and your character's entry in the story. Thanks for reading guys!


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